Changing from Storage heater to Panel Heater

[tinop]

Hi,
Could someone help, please....
We got rid of all the storage heaters and bought Dimplex panel heaters. We had economy 7 dual meter.
The storage heater is one consumer units and each has it's own circuit breaker.
An electrician came and told us to call npower to change the meter to 1 rate meter. We called Npower and they changed it to single meter, but killed the circuit breaker where all the storage heaters were connected.
So now we have no electricity to all the connections where the storage heaters were.
We called Npower and they seem to think that it is a common practice to do that and not able to understand why we would want to keep the old connections.
Attached is the image of the current setting. As you can see, the Negative output from the circuit box just went to henley block and with no connection back to the main circuit.
Can I ask any electrician to connect it back again? As the henley block has seals as well?


Thank you for your time..
Tino

Here are some photos.
The top consumer unit is the old storage heaters Cons Unit - we would just want to put all the heaters there....

Untitled

• tinop
• 18 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• tinop
• 18 Dec 2013
• 1

 

[flyingsparks]

You need a competent electrician to connect the old off peak tail into the live tail using a Henley block. This is something YOU won't be able to do I'm afraid. It's a simple job for someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[tinop]

Thanks for your reply,
They will need to break the seal at the current henley block - is that OK? or is that something that npower electrician has to do?

Thanks,
Tino

 

[diyer56]

That's fine it's on your side of the meter.

 

[AndyPRK]

looks like the meter changer fitted a new henly to terminate the night supply nicely.

He could have connected it to a live supply, but maybe he thought it was a mad idea and didn't want to be responcible for a massive bill.

 

[tinop]

Thanks for your answers.
What kind of ticked me off is that I told him specifically what i wanted to do, show him the heaters, etc, and he did this anyway.
Tried to call his company, but they said they dont want to know.
Oh well, an electrician is coming today. How much do you think it should cost to get it right?
Thank you again...

 

[tinop]

Well, an electrician came and he said npower has to do it. as the return cable still need to be connected to the main with seal again...
I cant stand power company !

 

[swampy2]

Looking at your pics, the old storage boards neutral is connected to its connector block(never disconnected), meter guy disconnected and sealed old storage boards live supply into connector block, your electrician could have cut the service head seal and removed fuse (permission required) then disconnected live supply from split load board and connected it and old storage board live and added new split load live supply to henley connector block.
Ive done above without removing supply(naughty lad) in the past.
I dont blame meter guy or his company.

 

[tinop]

Thank you for your reply.
This is the reply I got from npower.
""The engineer has said that he has connected the off peak supply to the Henley Block for safety reasons so he hasn’t left a live cable. However the consumer unit for the heaters is ready to go once you are ready to be switched on. So as far as they are concerned your electrician should be able to connect into the Henley Block and your heating should be up and running."

So, can any electrician do this? or not?

So confused.. 2 electricians came and they both said npower should do it.
And they both very experienced electricians....

Cheers again...
Tino

 

[swampy2]

2 options , electrician connects as ive posted or meter guy takes out the live(load) from the meter and connects it to the henley block he attached to old storage live, then fits a new meter live from meter to the henley block.

You will have to arrange which is easier, you could call meter company to send out to someone meet with you to explain what you want, which you have explained on phone.

You could get your electrician to call npower seeking permission to cut seal,
if granted npower would re-seal sometime later.

 

[flyingsparks]

Th electricians don't know what they talking about. They can cut into the live tail and fit a Henley block to supply both boards. Not strictly speaking the right way to do it (your meant to get supplier to pull fuse for you) but for an experienced electrician with the correct safety gear it's what nearly all of them do, myself included.

Disclaimer: do NOT try this yourself. I'm sure someone will shoot me down for giving 'dangerous advice' I'm not, purely explaining to you that it can be done and nearly all electricians would do this with the necessary precautions.

 

[tinop]

Thanks for the info.
The electrician refused to do it.
Any one willing to travel to Norfolk ?

Tino

 

[flyingsparks]

Thanks for the info.
The electrician refused to do it.
Any one willing to travel to Norfolk ?

Tino

I will if you pay me 60p per mile plus £25/hr ... By the way I'm in Devon!

 

[Steve]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that the OP's electricity bills are about to double . . .

 

[tinop]

And still no where to go.
This is the latest reply I got from npower :

You asked for us to change the meter to a single rate meter so you could use your panel heaters at any time. The meter provides a 24 hour supply but the consumer units would govern the time the heaters are available. You have explained what you required to the engineer from Lowri Beck and the engineer has connected the tails as best serves your requirements.

Your top consumer unit is an off peak consumer unit, and the bottom consumer unit a 24 hour unit. If both consumer units had been connected your panel heaters would only work at night which is not what you required. To use your panel heaters at any time they would have to be input through the 24 hour consumer unit or you would have to change the top consumer unit for another 24 hour unit.

Your electrician needs to wire the panel heaters to the bottom consumer unit.

Now they are saying there is such thing as off peak consumer unit.. sigh...

I may need to send my private jet to pick you up, flyingsparks .